Redeeming Value
Someone posted online that they were of the opinion of the LDS Church that it was of “no redeeming value"
Let me talk some about the (should-be) value of religion in general. Pure religion is about providing welfare and encouraging virtue. (1James 1:27). If Religion is doing anything else like entertainment or whatever, it is not really religion. virtue is about behavior that does no harm to self or others. Self-harm should be the jurisdiction of the Church and NGO's while harm to others is the jurisdiction of Law Enforcement and the legal system.
Religion should have the primary responsibility to provide welfare. This is because government can tax and redistribute wealth, but they don't rehabilitate. There is rarely ever accountability. The government rarely gets into help people change their situation or deal with potential virtue issues that may or may not be present.
Religion should use the tools of community and covenant to encourage virtuous behavior and service/welfare. Community uses the positive power of peer-pressure to encourage virtuous living. Religion should create a community of safety and caring (fellowship).
With regard to covenant, life gives people endless excuses to break our commitments. Covenants give people a reason to keep our commitments (like marriage) even when we feel like our circumstances give us justification to break them. This is exactly why doctors, lawyers, military, enter into oaths and covenants. We just forget why we make oaths/covenants and how they can be helpful to the average citizen.
So, to conclude that a person doesn't find value in a religion, they have to then 1. not understand the primary mission of religion, 2. or be of the opinion that they are not fulfilling their mission of providing welfare, or encouraging virtue.
As far as the issue with the an isolated church leader confessing to sexual exploitation, is that we know as a community what commitment these people have taken upon themselves and what community trust they have accepted upon themselves. Any behavior contrary to this IS a scandal because it runs absolutely counter to what religion and leadership is all about. But thank's to religion, our community still upholds certain values, and recognizes this behavior as a gross/tragic violation of those values.
Any institution is made up of very imperfect people and has plenty of room for improvement. We can debate whether certain violations should be made public in the name of transparency. I think there is a place for transparency. However, I wouldn't say a religious institution that does engage in providing welfare and encouraging virtue is of significant "redeeming value".
Religion should have the primary responsibility to provide welfare. This is because government can tax and redistribute wealth, but they don't rehabilitate. There is rarely ever accountability. The government rarely gets into help people change their situation or deal with potential virtue issues that may or may not be present.
Religion should use the tools of community and covenant to encourage virtuous behavior and service/welfare. Community uses the positive power of peer-pressure to encourage virtuous living. Religion should create a community of safety and caring (fellowship).
With regard to covenant, life gives people endless excuses to break our commitments. Covenants give people a reason to keep our commitments (like marriage) even when we feel like our circumstances give us justification to break them. This is exactly why doctors, lawyers, military, enter into oaths and covenants. We just forget why we make oaths/covenants and how they can be helpful to the average citizen.
So, to conclude that a person doesn't find value in a religion, they have to then 1. not understand the primary mission of religion, 2. or be of the opinion that they are not fulfilling their mission of providing welfare, or encouraging virtue.
As far as the issue with the an isolated church leader confessing to sexual exploitation, is that we know as a community what commitment these people have taken upon themselves and what community trust they have accepted upon themselves. Any behavior contrary to this IS a scandal because it runs absolutely counter to what religion and leadership is all about. But thank's to religion, our community still upholds certain values, and recognizes this behavior as a gross/tragic violation of those values.
Any institution is made up of very imperfect people and has plenty of room for improvement. We can debate whether certain violations should be made public in the name of transparency. I think there is a place for transparency. However, I wouldn't say a religious institution that does engage in providing welfare and encouraging virtue is of significant "redeeming value".
Posted by David B at 7:42 AM
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